Make Things Nice by Royal Jones

“Make Things Nice” sounds like it came right off an early 1970’s Temptation album and Royal definitely steps into David Ruffin’s talented shoes. The keyboard parts and vocal harmonies sounded sweet as Rocky Mountain Chocolate through my headphones and I enjoyed the retro soul oozing out of my stereo. “Pain Stain” is more contemporary sounding electronic soul offering; but the vocal lines on this one sound a bit off for my tastes, notwithstanding the excellent musical effects. “Make Things Nice” closes the short EP with a heavy ½ time beat, laid back hip-hop vocals and horn parts weaved around them.

The Royal Jones EP is a perfect calling card to hear what he can do as a vocalist and songwriter; and producers Codee and Richard Morris have done a fine job recording and delineating the musical parts. As you may know, I believe in less is more and enjoy when music is not overpowered with too many instruments and overdubs and this effort never swims in those waters. Madmonk Grade A

A review of this EP has been posted at:

http://newartistradio.net/mc/modules/news/index.php

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Unusual jams, inimitable style! A sensitive edge, funky quirky voice. the 'funkability' leaves a listener wanting more!

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exerpt from TAXI Review of single "Pain Stain"

What an interesting title and concept you have created here!

Nice work .I think that this title is very interesting not only because it's unique ,but also because the words it contains rhyme-and not an overdone rhyme either-great job. When you've come up with as many great traits in a title /concept, as you have here, you shouldn't be shy about showing off your brilliance. ...

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... Soul Divas are his drug of choice! Totally enthralled with singers like Susaye Greene, Stacye Francis,Martha Wash,Liz Lands,Cissy Houston and Miss Martha Reeves , Royal Jones tries to emulate the diva and bring to a song what theses soulful dynamos might in his own inimitable way. Developing unique sounds, intensely scrutinizing his delivery and ultimately finding his own unique style,

Our Royal Jones has done just that with his sweet falsetto topping a high baritone

legit range covering four octaves plus.

No, it is not easy being the emoting white man!

To record my own poetry and lyrics which I've scribbled since childhood, I've come full circle! Even without a hit record! Studying each nuance of such luminaries as Martha and Cissy and Marvin Gaye, well,it seems that's what I live for. ...and my 'favorites' list goes on and on."

...Singing in various choruses, choirs, and glee clubs did not prepare this backwoods New Hampshire native for life in the big City. But oh how he has adapted himself to singing heartfelt SOUL!

Royal Jones has kicked around NYC since 1979 collaborating and seeking a support network and a fringe audience.

Work with Steve Sandberg (Dora the Explorer, go Diego Go)produced fourteen songs on a "basement CD" 'RUFFLE IN A BAG OF PLAIN'

Two of these collaborations were included in this new set of original songs from the 2005 CD "YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE" from the independent MBIBE MUSIC label. Both YBTC and MTN are given the special touch by CODEE.

Another phat track is 'LOVE SITUATION' soon to be released after a lengthy stay on the shelf.

The "RUFFLE IN A BAG OF PLAIN", project was based on Royal Jones' childhood in a New Hampshire town where the biggest attraction was the chip factory. Everyone had their chip tin.

Producer CODEE known for his work with Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Marcus Miller, LL Kool J ,Cathy Dennis, P Diddy. etc.. suited Jones soulful nature and the proof is in the puddin'Stir it up and you'll agree....His sweet falsetto has produced some sugary ear candy!

Recent appearances with jazz diva STEPHANIE CLARK and the incredible JANICE FRIEDMAN at the legendary '55 Bar' in the West Village of NYC as well as a few open mikes around town are helping develop Royal Jones long anticipated stage show .

All that I've kept bottled inside has poured forth onto my new CD 'YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE'. Thoughts that some say should have been saved for the therapist's visit are spilled out onto the tracks of this the newest CD .

From the East Village of NYC Royal Jones waits for listeners to discover what he has to offer.Grateful for anything and everything. Old school, a throwback, you name it, I've been called it! ....

MBIBE Music

"Lovely!"

from MP3 .com

NYC's underground music scene presents the ROYAL JONES' "YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE" on the MBIBE Music label.

I think you'll be all ears when you hear Royal Jones' "You Broke The Circle"

Shake your money maker throughout this eclectic set of upbeat well engineered unusual jams.

The tracks pop off the speakers , . Lots of hooks with great arrangements! The musicians provide just the right funk for flaunting the artist’s gift!

The treatment producer CoDee gave Jones' original tracks compliment his unusual sounding vocals and the jams slam.

Upon listening to his quirky voice,comparing ROYAL JONES to anyone is short changing him. .An alternative soul vocalist/songwriter blessed with inimitable style and a four octave vocal range! I'd say the audiophile is in for a treat.

A stream of consciousness lyric style immediately grabbed me .A collection of original uniqueness and a real winner in my estimation.An artist whose style and sincerity down home 'funkability ' leaves the listener wanting more! Sensitive edged odd ball that he is!

Influenced by his love of 60s MOTOWN, ROYAL JONES one man choir provides amusement park potential for riding the Himalaya at the Fun O Rama!

.Elevate,imbibe and get down.Something old yet new! Paleface soul. Hooked on chronics.

Did I say Funky? 'PAIN STAIN' is amusing and certainly worth a listen.I read somewhere 'Royal will stick to you like grits'I agree wholeheartedly... You are in for a treat!A lovely debut! Don't deny yourself a good time.

Between The Lines Newspaper

From issue number 1336

Return to PrideSource

Hear Me Out

By D'Anne Witkowski

Originally printed 9/8/2005

http://pridesource.com/summary.shtml?issue=1336

You Broke the Circle Royal Jones

Yes, the strangely soulful falsetto of Royal Jones really does come from a middle-aged, blue-eyed, white guy. Think Nina Simone mixed with Mick Hucknall. In fact, much of the well-produced "You Broke the Circle" sounds like "A New Flame"-era Simply Red, especially on "Epiphany." Royal Jones is an acquired taste but he's a man doing his own thing, modern tastes and musical fads be damned.

http://pridesource.com/summary.shtml?issue=1336

Hearing is believing.Blue eyed soul grooves.A man out of his mind. Unusual delivery and cathartic lyrical performance.Sincere and frenzied with funk

CD Review: Royal Jones - You Broke The Circle

Posted by Wally Bangs on July 28, 2005 02:41 PM (See all posts by Wally Bangs)

Filed under: Music, Music: R&B -

Make Things Nice

Royal Jones

Music from Mbibe Music

Release date: 2005

What would you do if you were blessed with a four octave vocal range? Royal Jones uses his to make some of the most off kilter, unique, and fractured funk and soul songs around. He cites Martha Reeves as a big influence and his vocals show an obsession with soul divas, but the New York City vibe of his music is light years away from the Motown Sound. It’s electronic funk music for dancing in the clubs, but possessed of a chilled out ghostliness at times that makes you wonder who let the trip-hop in the door.

Skip the intro cut and head straight for the title cut and you’re quickly swept up in a weird world that’s like a kissing cousin to the stuff that Antony & The Johnsons are doing. "Echo" has a sort of creepy bossa nova ambience perfect for this post-modern film noir world. I dig the guitar riff on "Ride Out Of Control" which sounds like it could have been sampled from a Sly And The Family Stone album even if the spoken lyrics are pretty silly. I hope silliness is the point of the song, "Pain Stain" with its paranoid diva shtick reminiscent of dancier Frank Zappa grooves. Royal Jones manages to sound like Asha Puthli on "Love Like A Freak", but I will admit that by the time this 9th song on the 11 song CD played I was beginning to get a little tired of his four octaves.

A little Royal Jones goes a long way. You Broke The Circle on MBIBE Records is well worth getting if you’re into strange dance music, but I Royal Jones would really shine and stand out if he started putting out 12 inch records. You can pick up some of his music either through his website or by visiting Amazon or CD Baby.

Posted by Wally Bangs on July 28, 2005

(advertisement)

Rally on the dance floor and proclaim that this New Millennium will meld the genders and blend the races.

Royal Jones’ new CD, YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE, confirms that white men do become soulful divas. Our Royal Jones wrote his original songs with the vibes of human truths: Love. Misery. Bliss. Despair. Loneliness. Celebration. Ecstasy!

Produced and arranged by the masterful CODEE, YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE is an American coronation breaking the endless circle this presidential wasteland has been parading before the Planet.

Bold. Free. Backroom decadence. YOU BROKE THE CIRCLEdeems to be this year’s intoxication. Imbibe!

Confused? Echoes in your brainwaves? Out of control? Beware! Break your circle. Have an epiphany and love like a freak. It is time for

reality (play loud). See? YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE

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>>>Customer reviews:

Average customer rating for Royal Jones - Make Things Nice is: 5

Absolutely soul full!

best kept secret in New York City

I bought this cd on a whim

.I liked the cover art, bright and simple.

I had no idea I'd be so blown over by this unknown artiste.

All the songs are original and are they ever funky!

11 songs of equal enjoyment calibre.

The First which is " love like a Freak" reallly takes off near the end of the cut. I'm sure a remix would sample even more of that catchy groove. Make things nice the title cut is reminiscent of a Marvin Gaye vocal. What a truly colorful voice this blue eyed soul artist has. Number three is Pain Stain....you must hear this clever,catchy humorous gem of a song with a true dance groove. try and sit still to this number. and last but certainly not least is the unique funk groove of 'Ride out of Control'....the rap on this is just so expressive and catchy and funny all in one. Another must hear.this is another song that develops into something else avante garde at the 'fake' end of the track.stay tuned for this dynamo of a singer.

Hey Wussup, VA HIT MAKER!!! NEED A NEW HIT or RE-MIX?!!! I know you don't know me, but I was checking out your profile and I see that you are trying to accomplish great things. Keep up the good work. I like what you have done. You are a very talented person. My name is Monte Jay and I am an producer out of Hampton Roads Virginia. Check out my bio and some of my tracks here on http://www.whosnextonline.com/Artist.aspx?ID=3611, Thank you. See you at the top real soon. If you would like to work on something together or know anybody that …. EMAIL= montejay@madbeatent.com)posted by: dirtykeys on 10/2/05

ID=3641

Ur Music is real original. Good feelin sound 2 it. Ive got some beats poted, check em out n c wat u like. N keep it up.

posted by: D- Tour on 8/31/05 @ 01:06

MIKE & GRAY

YOU ARE SEXY AND YOUR VOICE IS TOO.COME CHECK US OUT IF YOU NEED A LITTLE GANGSTER IN YOUR LIFE

posted by: BEST FRIENDS on 8/18/05 @ 10:04

feedback

your voice is unique i am not in anyway trying to downplay you but i would like for u to sing a hook for me im not a gangsta rapper so it would not be explicit i make feel good music whatever makes me feel good

posted by: Kason on 7/27/05 @ 06:31

>

You need to fling yourself down the rabbit hole to prepare for this one. Why? Three words: Rick Astley Syndrome. Remember hearing "Never Gonna Give You Up" back in the 80s and thinking "Luther Vandross," and then turning on MTV and thinking "Good Lord, someone gave Howdy Doody a recording contract"? Well, this collection of stream-of-consciousness Motown dance hip-hop comes to you courtesy of a guy who looks like he's here to fix the refrigerator. Actually, going strictly by the CD cover, he looks more like someone who's about to hurl himself off a subway platform. Cheer up, Mr. Jones, you've made a great CD.

This CD has one of the most credible street vibes I've heard in a long time. This man leads a colorful life. He opens the CD with "Sylvia of Boston," a morning-after voice mail message from someone who's been rode hard and put up wet. Then the music kicks in. Brace yourself. We're going underground and experiencing what made Sylvia sound that way.

You Broke The Circle is a trip through dance clubs and time itself -- on "Echo," we fade into old-fashioned dance hall cha-cha-cha. On "Confused," Jones gets so incredibly Motown, I could swear I'm listening to Gladys Knight and the Pips. And I really mean Gladys Knight. Jones sings like a Motown queen. I could have sworn this was a female singer if it weren't for the occasional dip into bass territory.

My favorite track is "Ride Out of Control," a tribute to 70s funk, complete with a horn section and lazy, drawling rapping. The hook is the refrain, "If I ever come down, I'll behave, I'll be good." I can easily imagine Chef from South Park taking on this one. Somebody get me Matt and Trey.

The bottom line is that you will move to this. Yes, it's sample-happy and completely synthesized, but it's bursting with soul. Make it your soundtrack for a Saturday night and see if you don't sound like Sylvia from Boston the next morning. this article comes from Indie-Music.com

http://www.indie-music.com

The URL for this story is:

http://www.indie-music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3404

Born in Methuen Massachusetts

New Hampshire's Royal Jones (RJ) began his collaborating in the late 70's with Nancy Rosenberg on The Stars Weren't Right in Harvard Square.

RJ rehearsed standards, jazz, and show tunes with Berklee students in Boston. He appeared in choruses while attending junior college. This all prompted his imminent departure from the Merrimack Valley area. Upon moving to Boston, he studied voice with Ed Mousally at the Community Music Center on Warren Ave. He tells me, “I was so devoted. I recall puking on the steps to the place. I could never turn back. (I was just) so serious intending never to miss a lesson”.

When asked about his vast vocal range, RJ admits the soprano Frances Demoulas Kettenbach taught at Bradford College and initiated a brief period of classical music studies for his vocal development. Jay Pieleki in Hudson, New Hampshire, tried to perfect a screaming style, "very atrociously and unsuccessfully", he laughingly adds. RJ seems to delve in a total range of musical style and appreciation. Sure enough: Fred Jones from the Grace Church in Lawrence, Massachusetts, helped assist with the chorale and protestant hymnal music exposure. Dante Pavone in Boston 's South End assisted with a pop style of training "....laying flat on the ground and letting the notes pour forth from the core. Very stressful. Very painful. Very revealing." Renowned accompanist Jim Hix worked with RJ in the Back Bay of Bean Town while wowing the Fan Club ,a posh nightclub likened to NYC's Studio 54. (RJ is quick to add, "It paled in comparison, however." Roger Hawk, John Mattick, and many others helped our young Royal Jones with arrangements and exposure to more jazz and "popular pop". Spending two years studying with New England Conservatory's Geraldine Berkovitz Martin in the Third Stream Department developed a treasured musical friendship which added depth and perception. RJ regally adds, "Working closely with a coach is therapeutic and exposes your inner soul. It's like — a spiritual, much-needed release from the pressures of being a 'Royal' in a 'Common' world.

Other treasured friends who greatly influenced Royal Jones' style include Detroit councilwoman Martha Reeves . RJ says, "I'll never forget her coaching me ‘Unchained Melody’ the famed Righteous Bros recording backstage at a gig. The lyrics Martha knows makes my head spin." An aficionado on Motown's 60's period, RJ befriended Martha Reeves, "a MOTOWN LEGEND", at the historical Bottom Line in NYC's Washington Square and, of course, she him. I laughed at how RJ gushed, "Hard to imagine being such a devout, absolute fan of this Diva's incredible legacy of legendary recordings from Motown/Gordy, MCA, Arista, Fantasy, and now ITCH having the opportunity to actually discuss the legendary recordings creation at length and in vivid detail caused this devotee's head to spin... I mean to say is: I was so impressed, inspired, and in awe of... Well, this was someone of the highest caliber I would try to emulate. A daunting task!"

A move to NYC, in 1979, found Royal Jones in the company "of many cult icons. Some hanging out at NYC's 9th Circle in the West Village and, naturally, at the legendary Studio 54." This was not the first mention of the infamous club. I had to ask, "How did a New Hampshire greenhorn make it through the doors of Studio 54?" RJ's laugh was big and genuine. He giggled, "I was allowed frequent entry courtesy of a childhood best friend who had a job there as head waiter."

RJ was on a roll, "Oh, the shows and the divas back then! Alton McLain lived next door to The Circle and sang on the subway even! Imagine? How could I follow that? Fat Tuesday's (that Dizzy Gillespie hologram), and the aforementioned now defunct without a trace Bottom Line, Sweetwater's,Private’s, The Horn of Plenty, Reno Sweeney’s. Great! Paul’s Mall in Boston. The 'Savoy' in Times Square in the 80's. I was fortunate to experience true soul greatness first hand. Martha Reeves, Darlene Love, Martha Wash,Cissy Houston, Mary Wells, Mary Wilson, Gwen Guthrie, Deniece Williams, Thelma Houston, The Staples, Ebony Jo-Ann, Whitney Houston as a baby with her Mama all over NYC. Aretha! Patti Labelle! I was there at the theatre at Madison Square Garden, when Patti passed out on stage. Wow, how scary was that! We thought it was good theater. And when party animal, the beautiful Phyllis Hyman, joined Patti on stage for You Are My Friend at the Savoy Theatre. The memories: Sarah Dash at Sweetwater’s and the Tunnel, and so many places; Nona Hendryx bombing at the Bottom Line; Rough Trade booed off stage on Valentines Day at the Beacon. Wow! Even Shirley Bassey at Carnegie Hall ...who am I leaving out. Surely, I digress. Back to 'After taking in The Show'...."

Finally, Royal Jones met with renowned musician Steve Sandberg who produced the Royal Jones 'Ruffle in a Bag of Plain' basement tracks. Remaining "unreleased due to lack of interest, frankly, and the financial undertaking it would have required at that space in time," RJ was determined to be heard. There are fourteen tracks in all, not including varying mixes of several, and some very fabulous outtakes. Royal Jones has spent a lifetime recording his poetry as lyrics. A couple tracks from RIABOP are featured in full-length on the RoyalJones.com website.

Royal Jones has performed at NYC OUT MUSIC at the GLHC Center's monthly show on West 13th Street in Manhattan. Sandberg introduced the shy Jones to Out Music at his own performance there. RJ's comparisons were quite comical yet uplifting: "a disco Neil Young, an Amish Sylvester, Barbra, Aretha ....The song was RESCUE ME FROM MYSELF written by MJ Reilly and Steve Sandberg. An uneven performance to be kind. People need to grow ears. Thanks though!"

Skip ahead to 2003 when Royal Jones met Richard Morris which led to a meeting with Eric "CODEE" Cody and the EP Make Things Nice and the CD You Broke the Circle. Both CDs include all original material by Jones, Codee, and Mark Reilly. "And one by Sandberg as well! It's great!"

"What about now?", I ask. I find out that RJ is working closely with the "divine Janice Friedman". It seems good things do come to those who wait. His repertoire, expertise, and range have increased significantly. A new-found freedom is evident upon listening to some cover tracks being laid down. The show is 2 hours long. Dear in the Headlights, an autobiographical one-man show, stars "Royal Jones — of course, Dearie".

Gossip: His latest collaboration being passed around "unmixed and ruff" is the catchy acoustic funk original NO TIME LIKE TODAY written by Royal Jones and Janice Friedman.

Royal Jones' last NYC appearance was in January of 2006 when he was guest artist with the wonderful Stephanie Clark. He sang If I Ever Come Down and Home — the Charles Smalls classic from The Wiz which has been a staple in Jones repertoire for years.

His energy, I am sure, has just been tapped. He traversed many an alley. He is now "home". Stay tuned. I hope you get to see the emotional, eye-poppingly odd, sincere, cuddly, adorable, talented Royal Jones. He's a dear that deserves to be headed in the bright light of one's life.

Grab a listen at

http://www.royaljones.com

Average Customer Review: